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- Unusual cell phone data could provide Nancy Guthrie breakthrough (irishstar.com)
New Digital Forensics Angle Emerges in Search for Nancy Guthrie
Investigators continue their intensive search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, with a new focus on potential cell phone data anomalies. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have been working on the case for 28 days, having amassed a staggering 10,000 hours of video evidence, including unsettling footage of a masked intruder at Nancy’s home.
A digital forensic expert has suggested that unusual cell phone activity, specifically phones being powered off and then reactivated during the time Nancy disappeared, could provide a crucial lead. This technique was notably employed in the Bryan Kohberger case. Heather Barnhart, an expert with Cellebrite and the SANS Institute who worked on the Kohberger investigation, explained to the Daily Mail, “You have to know what normal is to find evil, and this person’s phone would be considered the evil.”
FBI special agents from the Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) are meticulously analyzing cell tower data from the area surrounding Nancy’s Cantalina Foothills neighborhood in Arizona. Their goal is to identify deviations from typical phone behavior that might pinpoint the abductor.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:45 PM on January 31st, after having dinner at her daughter Annie Guthrie’s residence. Concerns arose on February 1st when she failed to appear for a planned virtual church service. Authorities discovered that her doorbell camera was disabled between 1:47 AM and 2:28 AM on February 1st, a timeframe that also coincides with her pacemaker app disconnecting from her phone.
The key breakthrough, according to Barnhart, could lie in cell tower records, particularly if the suspect’s phone was powered on or off, or if calls were made near Nancy’s residence during the critical period. She referenced the Kohberger case, where the perpetrator’s phone was intentionally powered down for a significant period around the time of the murders, creating a “gap of information” that ultimately aided investigators. “Him powering off his phone gave us the perfect bookend of his crime, and really proved his intent to do harm,” Barnhart stated.
The forensic expert also emphasized the importance of examining data from weeks prior to the incident, as a suspect might have “scoped out the house in advance.” Identifying unusual pings to cell towers outside of a normal pattern could reveal prior visits.
While this digital forensic approach holds significant promise, Barnhart cautioned that it requires patience. “People, I think, want answers immediately, and I get it, but it’s hard to do digital forensics thoroughly,” she said, adding that the investigative team is “doing a thorough job, and that’s why it’s taking this long.”
Ironically, attempts by some offenders to eliminate their digital footprint, such as completely deactivating Wi-Fi and cellular services before powering down a device, can paradoxically lead to their detection.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings continue to hold onto hope for Nancy’s safe return, pleading for a “miracle.” Nancy suffers from several health issues requiring medication, and authorities have even attempted to track her pacemaker using Bluetooth technology. Savannah has urged the public to provide tips, emphasizing that they can be anonymous and that a $1 million reward is available, payable in cash.
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- Unusual cell phone data could provide Nancy Guthrie breakthrough (irishstar.com)